Creative Rights Caucus Hosts Briefing on Creators, IP, and Online Advertising

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Creative Rights Caucus (CRC) hosted a briefing to educate Congress on how online advertising works and the role it can play in supporting creators. Speaking at the briefing were Reps. Judy Chu (CA-27) and Doug Collins (GA-09), co-chairs of the CRC; Scott Cunningham, Vice President of Technology and Ad Operations, Interactive Advertising Bureau; Ruth Vitale, CEO of Creative Future; and Mike Zaneis, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau. The participants released the following statements:

Rep. Judy Chu, Co-Chair, Creative Rights Caucus:

“In today’s digital age, consumers can get content easier and faster than ever before. But this convenience can come at a cost to American workers and individual creators. In 2014, websites providing stolen content generated $209 million in advertisement revenue. This is not only bad for content creators, but also for American companies who may not know that their premium brands are being advertised on pirated websites. Today’s briefing highlights how advertisers and creators can work together to protect content online. Initiatives like the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) are a promising step forward in bringing transparency to the digital advertising industry and stemming online piracy.”  

Rep. Doug Collins, Co-Chair, Creative Rights Caucus:

“Tech-savvy bad actors are taking advantage of security gaps in online advertising to fund content piracy and other illegal activities. Today’s experts shed light on the problem and innovative ways that content creators, advertisers and Congress can better protect creators and consumers from fraud. I’m proud to have organized today’s event with my Creative Rights Caucus co-chair, Congresswoman Chu, and would like to thank Creative Future and the Interactive Advertising Bureau for a highly informative and useful talk about digital advertising’s intersection with intellectual property rights.”

Ruth Vitale, Chief Executive Officer, CreativeFuture:

"When pirate site operators are able to exploit major brands and the advertising ecosystem to generate millions of dollars in profits, it jeopardizes the rights of all creative individuals and undermines the creative economy. The creative community applauds the advertising industry’s commitment to taking the profit out of piracy and encourages all legitimate brands to participate in the TAG program."

Mike Zaneis, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Interactive Advertising Bureau:

“IAB is honored to join the Creative Rights Caucus to share more about the online advertising industry and highlight TAG's collaborative efforts to fight piracy and protect intellectual property. We thank Congresswoman Judy Chu and Congressman Doug Collins for their tireless time and effort, and look forward to continuing to work with the caucus and Congress more broadly on fostering and growing both the online advertising and creative industries.”